Older Bolder Life

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Inquiring Minds Want to Know (Links and Stuff) 22 December 2018

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Top of the Fold Reads

Walking, not the DASH diet, improves cognitive function in seniors. Here’s the CNN teaser and the Neurology article link.

In praise of boredom. I’m increasingly convinced we all need more time away from constant (digital) stimulation for good mind, brain, and everything otherwise health.

Things That Caught Our Eye This Week

Nutrition trumps exercise for bone strength.

Can intelligence buy you happiness?

In praise of free-range parenting. (A worthy read for both parents and grandparents.)

Obesity and cancer risk – quantifying the link.

T2DM reduces brain function in seniors.

Is the key to a longer life two X chromosomes?

Key nutrients support brain function in seniors.

Is Alzheimer’s transmissible? Interesting case study…

Our Recipes from the Week

Libby’s Honey Thyme Holiday Ham

Marinated Vegetables and Cheese

Older Bolder Holiday Mains: A Baker’s Dozen for Your Table

Apple Cider Vinaigrette

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast 21 December: Libby’s Honey Thyme Holiday Ham

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Being children of the South, my wife and I often think about enjoying a nice ham during the holiday season. As our palates have changed over the years eating Primally, the commercially prepared, overly-sweet, glazed hams made famous by a certain franchise just don’t fit the bill these days.

We have a family favorite mustard-glazed, hardwood-smoked version we’re partial to, though Libby convinced me to try her Honey Thyme Holiday Ham recipe recently, and I have to say, it’s very likely the best ham we’ve ever cooked at home.

She adapted the recipe from one posted in the now-defunct Gourmet magazine years ago, and true to her Southern roots added a bit of creole mustard to the glaze. And yes, this ham has a glaze sweetened with honey; the flavor added, particularly working in concert with the thyme, is well worth the sprinkle of additional carbs in our book, and isn’t cloying (like the above mentioned commercially-prepped hams…).

Give this one a try if you’re thinking about a ham this year; it’s one you’ll come back to again.

12-14 pound fully cooked ham

1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup mild honey
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 tbsp + 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 tbsp creole or dijon mustard
1 and 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Optional: fresh ground pepper

Set your ham out at room temp an hour before starting to cook.

When ready to get started, fire your trusty oven to 350 and trim any rind (skin) from the ham, then score the surface ham fat in a crosshatch pattern (just the fat, not the meat).

Place the ham on a roasting rack in a hefty roasting pan, cover with a piece of parchment paper, then cover the entire roasting pan with foil. Bake for an hour and 45 minutes.

While the ham is baking, bring the vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan, and reduce to roughly 1 tbsp. Remove the pan from the heat, whisk in the butter until melted, then the honey, thyme, mustard, and Worcestershire. Set the glaze aside until the hour and 45 minutes are up.

When the first baking period has passed, remove the foil and parchment paper, brush the ham with half the glaze, pour a cup of water or apple cider into the roasting pan, and bake for 30 minutes.

Reglaze the ham with the remaining glaze and bake another 30 minutes (or until done).

Enjoy.

Five Plus One Simple Suggestions for Holiday Week Success

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Last week we posted a quick read listing the benefits of pre-gaming your holiday planning; getting out ahead of the rush and bustle makes for a smoother and let’s cut to the chase – a happier and less stressful holiday season.

I suggested that you simplify, creatively meal plan and cook ahead, keep up your wellness routines, de-emphasize gifting material gifts, schedule wisely, emphasize fun, and exercise your gratitude muscles more.

Here’s five plus one more success suggestions for your holiday week…

Get Some Sun (and Up Your Vitamin D)

I know, I know, we’re at the very end of the astrological fall with solstice coming up tomorrow, marking the astrological start of winter and the shortest day of the year.

For those not outside every day, whether for work or workout, schedule some time in the sun (when it’s out!), and make sure you’re consuming enough vitamin D to make up for lost hours of sun exposure during these short winter days. Odds overwhelmingly are that you need more vitamin D in your life right now.

Double Down on Your Exercise Routines

Schedules seem to burst at the seams this time of year; make it a highly-valued priority to stay with your wellness and exercise routines, perhaps even scheduling an extra hour or two of fun physicality (you know what you like) this week and next. Traveling this holiday? Plan ahead and take whatever gear you need as well as cover gym, pool, track (or whatever) logistics before you drive or fly. You’ll be glad you did.

Dump Digital (Everything)

There’s so much good to attend to right now right at your fingertips, why waste a minute thumbing through the latest gifs, gossip, and images on social media? Put down your phone and tablet, get off your computer, and turn off the damned television.

Try a ten day digital fast and you just might never go back (we dumped TV during the holidays in 2002 and have never looked back; it’s been one of the wisest things we’ve ever done as a family).

Eschew Perfection and Have Fun Instead

You know the holiday perfectionist; there seems to be one (or more) in every family clan or group of friends. Perfection really can be (it actually is) the enemy of the good; relax, laugh more, and stress the little (particularly the inconsequential ones) details MUCH less.

Now and then I’ll actually have someone push back when I suggest they have more fun in their life, the response being something along the lines of “just what in the hell should I do for fun?” The short answer, of course, is whatever the heck you think is truly fun. Think like a kid, and play.

Have Some Fun with Intermittent Fasting

Especially if intermittent fasting is part of your typical daily routine, keep it up during the oncoming food blitz during the holiday weeks. Sure, your mother/grandmother/mother-in-law/assorted other relatives may ply you with goodies and have a carb-bomb buffet running in the kitchen 24/7, but politely stand your ground and use the WHEN principle (When Hunger Ensues Naturally) to guide your thoughtful consumption. We just did this on a quick family trip and were able to share in detail about a healthy lifestyle with family who desperately need to make a change.

Embrace Inspiring Friends and Loved Ones, Ignore the Others

Invest time with friends and family this holiday season who inspire, encourage, encourage, and motivate you. Please take a moment to thank them for their influence and inspiration over the past year, and perhaps even ponder how you might return the favor. Friends and family who like to smile and laugh belong on that same ‘much appreciated’ list.

Have friends and family who invoke gnashing of teeth, headaches, raised voices, and stress? Send a card, be polite, wish them well, but protect you and yours from their contagious angst.

Attitudes are infectious; surround yourself with happy, productive, uplifting people this season. And always be mindful of how you might encourage and inspire those around you.

the Older Bolder Life Vegetable Wednesday 19 December: Marinated Vegetables (and Cheese)

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While chatting with our friend Chef Libby in Austin the other day, I pestered her about what her teams’ latest efforts in the marinated vegetable world had been, as we’re helping with party appetizers at an event next week.

She’d shared before about her love of quick pickles and marinated vegetables and cheese, actually often using the phrase MIY – marinate it yourself – when talking about the various preps she and her team use often.

She (and I) are big fans of these dishes, as you can customize the marinade to suit your vegetables, cheese, and your tastes that particular day, as well as (at least in part), what’s on hand in the pantry. Even better, you can adjust the amount of spice and acid you add in to suit you – Libby likes hers tart and packed with flavor.

My wife is particularly fond of marinated olives and feta or mozzarella, with citrus and peppers for spice, and a healthy splash of white wine vinegar.

Libby reminded me that a generous amount of good salt is needed, and she’s partial a bit of fresh thyme sprinkled in the marinade as well.

The vegetables
Good olives, brined
Blistered peppers, i.e. shishito or banana
Lightly roasted mushrooms
Artichoke hearts
Hearts of palm
Carrot slices
Radishes/radish slices

The cheese
Slabs of good feta (try the organic imported feta from Costco)
Chèvre (goat cheese) sliced or crumbled
Fresh mozzarella
Ricotta salata
Your favorite cheese

The marinade
Good olive oil, see comments above regarding amount
Aromatics – citrus peels, dried chiles, crushed garlic, shallot slices
Acid – vinegar (white wine, red wine, white distilled, ACV), or lemon juice
Good salt
Fresh ground pepper
Fresh thyme leaves

Based on how much you’re planning to marinate, heat a generous amount of good olive oil over medium-low heat, along with whatever aromatics you’ve chosen to use. Heat long enough to soften the garlic (if using) and infuse the oil with flavor, then remove from the heat and cool (leave the aromatics in).

When cooled, stir in the vinegar, as much you want to taste; think of the marinade as a very highly seasoned vinaigrette. Salt and pepper to taste (it should be on the salty side), stir in the thyme or other fresh herbs, then pour over your cheese and vegetables and set aside for 30-60 minutes (or more), stirring a time or two if not covered completely.

When ready, plate artfully and serve.

Enjoy.

Dig a Little Deeper: The Carbohydrate Insulin Model of Obesity

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Dr. David Ludwig recently published a nifty article over on Medium – The Case for a Low-Carb Diet is Stronger Than Ever – in which he discussed a recent study his team conducted looking at the Carbohydrate Insulin Model of obesity.

From the article, in way of introduction –

…The conventional approach to obesity considers weight control as a matter of accounting — too many calories into the body, not enough calories out. The solution: count calories, eat less and move more. As long as you have a negative “energy balance,” you’ll eventually solve the problem.

Sounds simple. The problem is, calorie restriction is devilishly difficult for most people to sustain over the long term, because the body fights back when it’s deprived of calories. Decades of research shows that, as people lose weight, their hunger inevitably increases and their metabolism slows down.

The more weight you lose, the harder it is to burn off those extra calories, even as hunger and cravings for extra calories keep rising. This isn’t a matter of will power. In the battle between mind and metabolism, metabolism wins. According to nationally-representative data, fewer than 1 in 5 people with overweight or obesity have ever lost just 10% of their weight, for just 1 year.

We each have a sort of set-point, a weight that our body seems to want to remain — it’s lighter for some people, heavier for others, and determined in part by our genes. Some people can eat whatever they want and stay thin. Others seem to gain a few pounds by simply walking past a bakery. For both groups, attempts to either lose or gain significant amounts of weight run into biological resistance…

And the alternative, the Carbohydrate Insulin Model (again, from the article, and there’s a great image summarizing the following at the link)-

…There’s another theory of obesity called the Carbohydrate-Insulin Model (CIM), which argues that we’ve had it backwards all along: Overeating doesn’t cause weight gain, at least not over the long term; the process of gaining weight is what causes us to overeat.

Think of a teenage boy. Eating a lot doesn’t make him grow; his rapid growth makes him hungry and and so he eats a lot. (Of course, adults won’t grow taller no matter how much they eat.)

According to the CIM (see Figure 1), processed, high-“glycemic load”carbohydrates — mainly refined grains, potato products and added sugar — that flooded the food supply during the low-fat diet craze of the last 40 years have raised insulin levels, forcing people’s fat cells into calorie storage overdrive. Our rapidly growing fat cells take up too many calories, leaving too few for the rest of the body. That’s why we get hungry. And that’s why our metabolism slows down if we force ourselves to eat less…

Well worth a read; it’s written as a laymen’s-oriented overview of his study, and the diagrams included are quite illustrative. Despite conventional wisdom’s collective panning of the CIM theory, there’s more research coming down the pike about thoughtful and intentional carbohydrate consumption that’s NOT typical of the standard American diet.

Older Bolder Holiday Mains: A Baker’s Dozen for Your Table

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Though I’m guessing a lot of our Older Bolder readers have their holiday menu already planned by now, we thought it would be fun to throw out a list of suggestions for an uptown, something-different holiday meal main dish. (And yes, the list is protein-centric in terms of main dish offerings.)

We’re huge fans of flavorful, interesting, creative food, hence the inclusion of several “not your grandma’s typical holiday fare” recipes below.

And for the traditionalists out there, who can’t imagine the Christmas or New Year’s table without a medium rare Prime Rib Roast, the first link in the series is to Kenji Lopez’s Serious Eats post on Prime Rib – it’s the best we’ve ever come across; watch his video (on his site) if you’ve not before. (Image below via Serious Eats)

Break out of your routine this year and craft a culinary masterpiece that you’ve not shared with friends and family before.

The Best Prime Rib Recipe You’ll Find from Serious Eats

Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

Mustard-Crusted Prime Rib Roast

Ancho Slathered Southwestern Leg of Lamb

Citrus and Chile Braised Short Ribs

Roast Goose with Oranges and Madeira

Pork Shoulder Al’Diavolo

Lamb Shoulder with Citrus Fennel Salad

Seared Scallops with Brown Butter and Lemon Sauce

Spicy Tamarind and Honey Glazed Ham

Rib Rub Pork Shoulder

Roasted Pork with Sage, Rosemary, and Garlic

Leg of Lamb with Garlic and Rosemary

the Older Bolder Salad Sunday 16 December: Apple Cider Vinaigrette

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I’ve been on a mission lately to deconstruct and recreate at home one of our favorite salads from an eatery here in DFW called Whiskey Cake; the salad is their Bacon and Egg salad, featuring shaved raw Brussel sprouts and kale, with a handful of chopped cherry tomatoes, crumbled crispy bacon, a very thin apple slice here and there, peppadew peppers, and crumbled blue cheese.

The salad is amazing, and is pulled together with a surprisingly tart, simple vinaigrette. I’d been debating as to whether it was champaign vinegar or apple cider vinegar based; several weeks ago I finally pestered our waitress to ask for me, and to my surprise one of the chef’s came out and chatted about it with us (very nicely played by the Whiskey Cake team, and it was apple cider vinegar).

We came home and started experimenting that night, playing with the classic 1:2 vs 1:3 vinaigrette acid:oil ratios, and kept coming back interestingly to Zatarain’s Creole mustard both for flavor and as an emulsifier. (For whatever reason chemically, I’m getting the best results making avocado oil mayo with this mustard too – in terms of mayo texture (emulsification) and taste.)

We think this is better with a small shallot very finely chopped and mixed in, along with a bit of Cajun spice. Chef Libby has played with this one, and prefers it with a bit of raw honey and just a whisper of cinnamon. Play around with this one and see what you think.

I’ll be posting a recipe for the bacon and egg salad here in the next few weeks…

1/2 cup avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp (generous) Zatarain’s Creole mustard, or whole grain Dijon
1 garlic clove, grated or finely minced
1/4 to 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
Good salt and pepper to taste

Optional:
1 small-medium shallot, finely chopped
1-2 tbsp good raw honey or maple syrup, start with one
1/4 tsp (or more) of your favorite Creole/Cajun spice mix OR
1/8 tsp cinnamon

Making this one is a walk in the park. Combine the first 8 ingredients along with whatever optional goodies in a small mason jar (lidded container of choice) and shake until emulsified. You don’t have to go crazy here, shake until well combined and homogenous, then taste again and adjust for salt, pepper, and sweetness IF you’ve chosen to sweeten (see above).

Enjoy.

Inquiring Minds Want to Know (Links and Stuff) 15 December 2018

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Three out of five adults do NO resistive exercise training.

Sex is good for older adults.

Do body weight swings bring health risks? Yep.

A time to fast. If you only read one article today, read this one; we’ll be looking at this one in more detail in a later post…

A Mediterranean diet impressively drops CVD risk.

Do you believe you think better when eating fruits and veges? You probably do.

The diet impacts mood bandwagon is garnering more attention.

Interesting read on CrossFit and their physician recruitment.

Keto Corner

Ketogenic diets as part of cancer treatment.

Lab anomalies in pedi patients on ketogenic diets. Makes you wonder about phosphorous levels in adults following a ketogenic plan…

Our recipes from the week

Our House Chile Lime Vinaigrette

Dutch Oven Roasted Beets

Boeuf Bourguignon